replacement for barometric damper

Unknown

if properly calibrated can a fluepipe heat extractor like a MAGIC HEAT replace a barometric damper? can the draft be controlled by cooling the fluegas ? please ignore soot deposits somewhat,this is a theoretical question only.....thanx

Al Letellier_21

barometric damper

A barometric damper is used to control excessive chimney draft and should never be removed when installing a device like a heat reclaimer. Haven't installed a heat device in years but have never seen an incident where it cooled the chimney enough to effect draft. I would leave it in place.

Unknown

duh

this dont say much about the scientific aspect but thanx

Paul Fredricks_3

Maybe

If you used dry ice to cool the magic heat, I guess it's possible. Remember though that the chimney has a lot of mass and holds a lot of heat. There would be quite a lag between the excess draft kicking on the magic heat and the chimney actually cooling.



Just for theory, right? No one wants to actually do this, correct?

Unknown

just theory

ss liner with insulation aint got much mass?

Paul Fredricks_3

Oh

I suppose that's true. Still think there would be some lag. A barometric would work better.

Bob Harper

baro vs heat reclaimer

A barometric damper is a precision device calibrated with a draft gauge. A heat reclaimer doesn't care what the draft is, it just keeps robbing heat while providing flue gas restriction. These heat reclaimers were popular with woodstoves back in the 80's but are incompatible with higher efficiency equipment.



I see use for heat reclaimers but esp. as a draft control. They can run away and kill draft rather than regulate.

HTH,

Hearthman

Unknown

modern equipment

ok. what about an EPA stove with a MAGIC HEAT added. YUKON EPA wood furnace has a firebox & a secondary heat exchanger which extracts heat from the fluegas similar in concept to epa stove + MH HEAT EXTRACTOR

Jamie Hall

draft vs. heat

As Al L. noted, the barometric damper is there to control the draft over the fire.  The burner -- oil or otherwise -- is (or should be!) adjusted to function properly, with the correct air/fuel ratio, at a particular draft.  At any other draft, it isn't going to function at proper efficiency and may smoke, produce too much carbon monoxide, tend to pull the fire away from the nozzle, or any one of a number of other bad things.



A heat reclaimer, on the other hand, does just exactly that, more or less well.  And yes, the reduction in flue gas temperature will affect the draft.  Which is all the more reason to have a barometric damper!  You change the draft, you have to have that damper move to compensate for it to get the proper firing conditions.



Wood stoves and wood furnaces are also sensitive to draft, and most of them would benefit from a barometric damper -- not that I've seen them installed.



In fact, any combustion heat source will be affected by draft.



But from the standpoint of pure physics, the heat reclaimer or similar and the barometric damper perform two completely different functions, and cannot substitute for each other, either way.